U.S. Forest Service · Custer Gallatin National Forest · Red Lodge, MT

Cascade

Cascade Campground is located 11 miles west of Red Lodge, in southern Montana. It conveniently sits along Forest Road 2071, which is paved for most of the route. The area is a popular location for hiking, backpacking and fishing.

More like this: reservable in Montana · big rigs in Montana · pets allowed in Montana

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Cascade CampgroundRiver near Cascade CampgroundCascadeCampsite in tall pine trees.
Photos courtesy of Esther Fishbaugh, GCC · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups29
Host/management1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

29 sites in 2 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessible
001Sites 1-24Back-in18GravelPartial8 / 1Yes
003Sites 1-24Back-in20GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 1Yes
004Sites 1-24Back-in20GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 1Yes
005Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelPartial8 / 1YesYes
006Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 1Yes
007Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelPartial8 / 1Yes
008Sites 1-24Back-in20GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 1Yes
009Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 1Yes
010Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelPartial8 / 1Yes
011Sites 1-24Back-in30GravelRiverfront8 / 1Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length40 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Tent padsYes
FeesThe first vehicle is included in the basic fee; A second will be charged an extra $10 fee and collected at the campground, if your site will accomodate it. Firewood bundles can be purchased from the campground host.
AccessibilitySites 005, 002-HOST are listed accessible

The campground offers several single-family sites, one of which is accessible (site #5). Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Trash may be deposited in receptacles at nearby Basin Campground.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Season5/26- 9/8 Weather Dependent
ForestCuster Gallatin National Forest
BookingReservations must be made more than 5 nights in advance of your stay. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance of your stay: Get a map and reserve a campsite 1-877-444-6777 20% of this…
Fees$18.00 includes 1 driving vehicle $9 each additional vehicle. $6 day use campground fee for over ½ hour. 1/2 price fees for Interagency Senior or Access Pass holders

Custer Gallatin National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cascade20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.84 inches of precipitation, 13.5 inches of snowFebruary: 1.14 inches of precipitation, 19.4 inches of snowMarch: 1.78 inches of precipitation, 20.2 inches of snowApril: 2.77 inches of precipitation, 25.5 inches of snowMay: 4.72 inches of precipitation, 6.2 inches of snowJune: 2.59 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJuly: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.01 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.63 inches of precipitation, 2.1 inches of snowOctober: 2.34 inches of precipitation, 17.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.39 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowDecember: 1.00 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.7°F averageFebruary: 25.5°F averageMarch: 33.7°F averageApril: 40.9°F averageMay: 49.3°F averageJune: 57.6°F averageJuly: 65.6°F averageAugust: 64.7°F averageSeptember: 56.4°F averageOctober: 43.9°F averageNovember: 32.1°F averageDecember: 25.0°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Red Lodge, 9 miles from the campground at 5,646 feet, station USC00246918 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 23 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 142 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, May 26 to September 8.

Getting there

From U.S. Highway 212, go to the south end of Red Lodge. Turn west onto West Fork Rock Creek Road (Forest Road 2071) and travel 11 miles west. The campground is on the left.

Nearest townRed Lodge, Montana
Coordinates45.1733° N, 109.4508° W · Directions ↗

Charges and cancellations

This cancellation processing fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearGrizzly Peak Outdoors ↗10 mi
RV sales & serviceLaurel Trading Post ↗48 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cascade Peaks Campground Pros and Cons | Review Of The Largest Private Campground in Washi

Worth a stop

The charming town of Red Lodge, Mont. offers a variety of dining and lodging options, galleries, shops and annual summer events. The Home of Champions Rodeo is held on the Fourth of July weekend, Beartooth Bike Rally and Iron Horse Rodeo take place in mid-July, the Mountain Man Rendezvous is in late July and the Festival of Nations happens in early August. The Beartooth Highway was deemed "the most beautiful drive in America," by the late Charles Kuralt. It snakes across the rugged Beartooth Mountains from Red Lodge to Cooke City. It is the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. Along the way, visitors are treated to sweeping views and plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Custer Gallatin National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

The campground is situated on the banks of the West Fork of Rock Creek. The area surrounding the campground was burned by the Cascade Fire in 2008, which left many open glades with abundant wildflowers.

Recreation

Fishing is a popular activity along the West Fork of Rock Creek and at nearby Wild Bill Lake. The small lake is open to kayaking and canoeing, and an accessible fishing dock is located on the shore. The Basin Lakes Trailhead is three miles away, across the road from Basin Campground. Silver Run Plateau, West Fork and Timberline Lakes trails offer access to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Mountain bikers enjoy the Ingles Creek Trail and a variety of loop trails at Silver Run. Biking is also allowed on the Basin Lakes Trail.

Guidebooks for Montana

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: Montana
    Vicky Soderberg and Ken Soderberg, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
    Becky Lomax, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Montana
    Kenneth L. Graham, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cascade?

Sites at Cascade are reservable on Recreation.gov. Reservations must be made more than 5 nights in advance of your stay. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Cascade?

The first vehicle is included in the basic fee; A second will be charged an extra $10 fee and collected at the campground, if your site will accomodate it. Firewood bundles can be purchased from the campground host.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cascade?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Cascade have?

30 sites, including 29 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Cascade?

The longest site here provides 40 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are pets allowed at Cascade?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cascade. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Cascade?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Cascade?

Sites 005 and 002-HOST are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Cascade?

Fishing is a popular activity along the West Fork of Rock Creek and at nearby Wild Bill Lake. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Cascade?

Red Lodge, Montana. The charming town of Red Lodge, Mont.

Source: Getting there

What if Cascade is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Basin Montana Campground (3 mi), Palisades Campground (6.9 mi, first-come), and Parkside (8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby